PCBPD: Mother left kids in car, drank at Ms. Newby's

PANAMA CITY BEACH — A Tennessee mother has been arrested after police say she left her children in a car to grab drinks with her boyfriend inside a local bar.

Magen Nicole Barkley, 31, of Cleveland, Tennessee, appeared in court Friday on a charge of felony child neglect. The Panama City Beach Police Department reported that about 2:30 a.m. Thursday, they responded to Ms. Newby's, 8711 Thomas Drive, to find Barkley's two children inside her car. She and her boyfriend were inside at the time and allegedly failed to provide proper care for the children for two hours as they drank alcoholic beverages, PCBPD reported.

Barkley appeared intoxicated when officers arrived, PCBPD reported. She was taken to jail and held on a $5,000 bond, court records stated.